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The Atlas of New Librarianship: Improve Society

Librarianship is all about multi-tasking. For example in my chosen field, school librarianship, I expect to take on the role of teacher, library administrator, professional development leader, information locator, library advocate, literacy specialist, collection developer, and probably more. It is hard, sometimes, to keep an eye on the reason behind all of this hustle and bustle; making the world better.

We have to make an effort to see the forest while tending to our trees. We must be sensible and not dogmatic. We should focus on how to change programs, materials, and spaces to make them suit the community better, with adherence to long-term goals. We must be willing to let some things go if they are not working. We should inspire, but also listen.

We must be proud of our successes and proud of the community that supports our work, while always knowing that we can do better. Resting on out laurels, no matter how fragrant or regal they may be, is the first step backwards. We must be ready to take educated risks, both large and small. Some of those risks may turn in to big things, and we never know which ones until we try!

For my gateway class at Syracuse University I was assigned to read and blog about my professor David Lankes’ most recent book, The Atlas of New Librarianship.